March 30, 2012
 

Anpario plc has acquired Meriden Animal Health Limited, bringing another strong trading brand to the Anpario Group, broadening its product technology and increasing Anpario's global market share in the feed additive sector.

Anpario is one of the leading suppliers of natural high performance feed additives to enhance health, growth and sustainability in global agriculture and aquaculture markets.

Meriden, on the other hand, supplies the global agriculture and aquaculture markets with natural animal feed additive products. Its Orego-Stim range of products, using essential oils, is the leading brand in its field and is marketed across 60 countries worldwide, with the bulk of sales outside the UK. Meriden works with distributors in the local territories. It has a technical support team based in a representative office in Malaysia and a joint venture company in Australia. Its sales for the 12 months to December 2011 were GBP5.35 million.

Anpario intends to capitalise on the vast potential of China's agriculture market, through Meriden's China operations, which accounted for 26% of Meriden's total sales in 2011.

Meriden will be run as a separate business enabling the team to focus on selling and marketing high quality feed additive products around the world. The two founders- Stephen Harris, Managing Director, and Pamela McLaren, Company Secretary, are to remain with the business in their existing roles, and will continue to develop the Meriden business further.

Meriden's management team will gain additional support and can benefit from working together with Anpario's research and development resource to develop new and innovative products for sale under the Meriden brand.

"Meriden Animal Health is a quality business with strong brand recognition for developing 100 percent natural feed additives. This acquisition increases our global market share in animal feed additives which is benefiting as the agriculture industry looks to use natural based solutions to promote the health and growth of animals for meat consumption," Richard Edwards, Executive Vice Chairman of Anpario commented.

He adds, "Meriden's significant presence in China increases our involvement in the world's biggest producer of poultry and pig meat and reinforces our strategy to build more significant positions in emerging agriculture and aquaculture markets."